You aced the interview, negotiated the job offer, and now you’re a brand new employee. Congratulations! Now is not the time, however, to relax and put your efforts on cruise control. The first few months at a new company are critical and you need to put serious time into showing the powers-that-be they made a smart decision in hiring you. Here are 10 ways to impress your boss in a new job and set your path to success.
Impressing your boss entails being:
1. On time
Being late, especially as a habit, is one of the fastest ways to get on your supervisor’s bad side. Lay your clothes out the night before, gas up your vehicle after work, not before, and set your alarm for twenty minutes earlier than you think you should. Seeing you at your station on time every morning will show your boss you take your job seriously.
2. Productive
Avoid the temptation of checking social media, texting your spouse during work time, or “zoning out” an hour before quitting time. Create a to-do list and strive to get as much done as possible every day. Do your part to positively affect the company’s success. And, of course, be ready to talk about your effort during meetings with your boss.
3. Emotionally mature
If a boss were to make a list of annoying behavior, whiny and immature would be at the top of the list. Handle yourself like an adult. Don’t fuss with co-workers or engage in gossip. If you have a legitimate complaint, take it to your boss when you’re calm, exude confidence, and lay out the situation in a matter-of-fact way.
4. Easy to work with
Lazy, complaining, negative people are real drags on office happiness. Stay positive, be mindful of others and their opinions, and do your job efficiently. Many promotions have occurred because a supervisor has noticed an employee can get along with all different types of people.
5. Reliable
If you say you will do something, make sure you complete it to the best of your ability. You might also call this “follow through” or being “on the ball”, because they all require you staying organized so nothing falls through the cracks. And if you know that you’re going to miss a deadline or not complete something as needed, be transparent and inform your boss as early in the process as possible so they can make adjustments.
6. Focused
Bringing your personal problems to work is foolish and will make your boss look at you in a negative light. Shelve problems with your spouse, children, friends, or issues with your health and deal with them after hours. If you can’t avoid addressing them, take a mental health day and do it privately outside of work.
7. Honest
Never, ever lie to your boss or misrepresent your skills. This will come back to bite you, and may be the thing that gets you fired. Be diplomatically honest when asked about projects, co-workers, or any other subject requiring your input and opinion.
8. Resourceful
No matter what your role entails, you’ll likely run into some issues that you’ve never encountered before or are unsure about how to proceed with. Rather than automatically running to your boss for help, take steps to resolve that issue on your own such as by investigating the issue, thinking through what possible solutions might be from a common sense perspective, observing your colleagues, and if you have to, even using Google to give you a possible solution.
9. Respectful
Being respectful encompasses a lot of positive behaviors that you’d be surprised is often lacking among new hires, such as having proper manners (“please” and “thank you”!), being a good listener, being open minded, not making assumptions, and basically not being an unreasonable jerk.
10. Helpful
Pitch in on open projects, volunteer for committees, and always take advantage of opportunities to contribute positively to your company. By offering to shoulder more responsibility where it makes sense, your boss can see your tenacity and commitment to your job. And if you’re helpful in a way that doesn’t interfere with your normal work and doesn’t pander directly to your boss, it won’t look appear that you’re just sucking up.
These helpful tips will prepare you to easily make a great impression on your new boss. By consistently displaying these behaviors, you make a clear point that you care about your job, your performance, and the company that employs you. Trust us, your boss WILL notice.
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